Chief of Police – City of Florence, SC

Florence, SC - USA

Yearly Salary: USD 130000 - 150000

Posted on: 16 hours ago

Vacancies: 1 Vacancy

Job Summary

About Us

Position Closes December 15 2025

Are you a law enforcement professional who:

Excels at building relationships and fostering collaboration across departments agencies and the community
Leads with transparency empathy and humilitysupporting officers while remaining approachable and relatable
Embraces innovation and technology to advance modern effective policing practices
Understands South Carolina law and values strong partnerships withCounty and State Law Enforcement Departments

If so becoming the nextChief of Policefor the City of Florence South Carolina may be the career move for you. Located in the northeastern part of the state Florence is seeking an experienced forward-thinking and people-centered Chief who embodies integrity accountability and approachability.

As a role model for the State-accredited department the nextChiefwill provide strong internal leadership by mentoring officers fostering a culture of trust and accountability and ensuring fair and consistent enforcement of policies. They will also guide key departmental initiatives such as succession planning standardized promotions and modernization of operational policiesincluding pursuit and Taser protocolswhile utilizing technology including AI to enhance efficiency and crime prevention.

The nextChief of Policewill lead the department through a period of growth and transformation as Florence continues to expand through annexations increasing the size and complexity of its policing needs. A top priority will be strengthening recruitment and retention through strategies such as offering sign-on bonuses partnering with community colleges to attract new talent and expanding training and professional development to boost morale performance and service delivery.

The ideal candidate will actively engage with residents youth and underserved populations to strengthen relationships and build trust in law enforcement. Serving as a present hands-on leader the nextChiefwill guide the department with vision fairness and a commitment to community-centered policingensuring Florence remains a safe inclusive and thriving city.

About the Community:

Nestled at the crossroads of Interstates 95 and 20 Florence SC is a thriving city in the heart of the Pee Dee region. As the county seat of Florence County and one of South Carolinas 10 most populous cities Florence blends rich history modern growth and small-town warmth into one inviting community.

Originally founded as a railroad hub in the 19th century Florence quickly became a center for commerce and culture. Named anAll-American Cityby the National Civic League in 1965 it continues to evolve as a regional hub for healthcare education and industry. Major employers like McLeod Health MUSC Health and Honda of South Carolina offer strong career opportunities across a range of professions.

Florence is known for its diverse and welcoming community. The citys population reflects a rich mix of backgrounds including 49% Black or African American 43% White 3% Asian 2.6% identifying with two or more races 1.3% other races and 0.2% Native American residents. This blend of cultures contributes to the citys vibrant atmosphere and is reflected in its food festivals and local traditions. With a 2025 population of 41129 Florence continues to experience steady growth expanding at a rate of 0.5% annually and up 2.6% since the 2020 Census.Florence is the main city in the Florence Metropolitan Statistical Area which has a population of over 200000 residents. It is a vibrant community that offers an excellent place to live work and play. Due to the numerous opportunities available Florences daytime population often increases to around 100000.The citys average household income of $80416 and median age of 37.6 reflect a balanced mix of young professionals families and established residents who enjoy Florences affordable cost of living and strong sense of community.

Over the past decade Downtown Florence has undergone an exciting transformation. The once-quiet city center is now alive with energy featuring beautifully restored historic buildings locally owned restaurants boutique shops and entertainment venues. Highlights include theFrancis Marion University Performing Arts Center theFlorence Little Theatre and theFlorence County Museum of Art Science & History. Whether youre catching a show enjoying live music or exploring the citys arts scene theres always something happening downtown.

For outdoor loversTimrod Parkand the City of Florence Trail System offer walking trails sports facilities and picnic spaces shaded by live oaks. The city also hosts popular events like theSouth Carolina Pecan Festival which draws thousands of people to downtown Florence each fall for food music and family-friendly fun.

Florence truly lives up to its mottoFull Life. Full Forward.offering the perfect balance of opportunity community and Southern charm. With a growing economy affordable lifestyle and welcoming spirit its an ideal place to build a career raise a family or begin a new chapter. Blending progress culture and hospitality Florence isnt just a place to work its a place to call home.

About the Organization:

The City of Florence operates under a Council-Manager form of government and the Council is composed of a Mayor and six council members. The City of Florence employs a manager to act as chief administrator of the Councils policies and to the extent possible separate the policymaking function from the administrative function. The City has a mission to be proactive in providing timely effective and fiscally responsible municipal services to elevate the quality of life in our city and actions are carried out through the values of collaboration professionalism and ownership.

The Citys FY 2026 budgetof $ supports 505 full-time employees and 73 part-time employees across 13 departments. Learn more about the City by visiting itswebsite here.

Duties/Responsibilities

About the Department and Position:

The City of Florence Police Department is dedicated to ensuring the safety and well-being of everyone who lives works and visits the city. The Department is committed not only to stopping crime but also to helping citizens reduce and whenever possible eliminate crime in their communities. Through a strong focus on Community-Oriented Policing officers work closely with residents neighborhood watch groups local civic organizations and businesses to foster open communication and collaborative problem-solving. The department implements community-oriented policing throughout the entire organization with strategies such as fixed officer assignments to districts directed patrols targeting specific offenses downtown foot patrols and problem-oriented policing aimed at recurring issues like illegal drug activity.

In addition the department offers a variety of community programs to engage and support citizens including the Citizens Police Academy Neighborhood Watch Programs the Chiefs Citizen Advisory Board a Victim Assistance Program code enforcement initiatives and citizen surveys to identify community needs and priorities.

To provide comprehensive service the department is organized into five specialized divisions: Administrative Services Community Relations Patrol Services Support Services and Investigative Services. Each division plays a vital role in fulfilling the departments objective to be proactive in addressing community needs while delivering high-quality service to every individual.

Reporting to the City Manager theChief of Policeprovides overall leadership and strategic direction for the department overseeing all activities and functions to ensure effective professional and community-focused law enforcement. This includes developing and implementing departmental goals objectives policies and procedures as well as supervising key operations such as community-oriented policing patrol criminal investigations professional standards training crime prevention traffic enforcement animal control the Real Time Crime Center and the chaplaincy program. TheChiefis also responsible for preparing and administering the departments annual budget supporting the citys short- and long-term planning goals and ensuring compliance with evolving legal regulatory and technological standards in law enforcement.

TheChiefmanages the departments $12.8M budget and oversees the departments 115 full-time and 19 part-time personnel includingfivedirect reports: Patrol Services Captain Support Services Captain Administrative Services Captain Investigative Services Captain and Community Relations Commander.

Key Position Priorities:

Renew commitment to Community-Oriented Policing working to combat crime through a variety of techniques and relationships that enhance community safety while holding officers accountable for proactive engagement and problem-solving.
Implement strategies to address staffing shortages reduce burnout ensure consistent evaluation and promotion develop excellent professional development initiatives and strengthen internal communication to attract outstanding staff and improve retention and maintain a motivated professional workforce.
Continue implementing the City Council approved crime plan tobring back the CommunityPolicing Team (CPT); create incentives for members of the police force to live inside high-crime neighborhoods utilize advanced technology to assist in crime prevention bring back Camp F.E.V.E.R. as Camp Carraway in memory of Sergeant Terrence Carraway crack down with strict enforcement on businesses where criminal activity is occurring with a very high incidence.
Enhance partnerships with community stakeholders including residents youth business owners the Sheriffs Office nonprofits and social services to ensure public trust in the department.

Qualifications

Qualifications:

Bachelors degree from a four (4) year college or universityis requiredand five (5) years or more of command or supervisory experience in the rank of captain or above in a police department serving a population of the same size or larger. Graduate of the FBI National Academy Southern Police Institute or other nationally accredited Command College ispreferred. Masters degree in a related field ispreferred. The ideal candidate is self-aware has excellent communication abilities and has demonstrated experience managing budgets and organizational resources. While prior experience as a police chief is preferred candidates with significant command-level experience will be considered.

The Successful Candidate is:

A visible and approachable leader who builds trust and meaningful relationships across all levelsfrom officers and city staff to residents civic groups and regional partnerscollaborating effectively with the City Manager Sheriffs Office and other agencies to strengthen public safety and advance community-oriented policing.
A hands-on presence during critical incidents including officer-involved shootings major crimes protests and natural disasters showing empathy accessibility and steady guidance.
Committed to transparency fairness and accountability demonstrating consistency in leadership decision-making and discipline while setting high expectations for self and others.
An innovative and forward-thinking leader who embraces technology including AI and modern policing tools and is willing to challenge the way things have always been done to improve policing morale and community outcomes.
Trusting and empowering fostering accountability and confidence within the department while building meaningful relationships across Florences diverse community.
A personable humble and adaptable communicator who listens actively admits mistakes values the input of those directly impacted by decisions and fosters trust collaboration and confidence among department staff community members and partner organizations.
A dedicated servant-leader who prioritizes patrol presence community engagement and a cop mindset understanding the realities of policing on the street while remaining innovative open-minded and committed to continuous improvement.
Actively engaged with youth underserved populations and the broader community proactively working to prevent crime strengthen relationships and build trust and confidence in law enforcement.
Deeply committed to both community policing and officer well-being recognizing that effective public safety starts with taking care of the people who serve.

Additional Information

Salary and Benefits:The hiring range for the position is $92900 -$110000 commensurate with education and experience. The City of Dunn provides an excellent benefits package that includes participation in NC Local Government Employees Retirement System; participation in the State Health Plan employer-paid dental vision & life insurance; optional FSA participation; optional life disability cancer critical illness and accident insurance; 401(k) plan and optional 457(b) plan; 12 paid holidays; birthday holiday; and vacation/sick leave.

Salary and Benefits:The hiring range for this position is $130000-$150000 commensurate with education and experience. The City of Florence offers a comprehensive benefits package which can be viewed on its website. The Police Chief is required to establish residency within the corporate limits of the City within a period of twelve (12) months from the date of employment.

To apply please visithttps:// click on the Chief of Police City of Florence SCtitle.

All applications must be submitted online via the Developmental Associates application portal (link above) NOT the citys employment application portal or any other external website.
Resumes and cover letters must be uploaded with the application.
Applicants should apply by December 15 2025to be considered during the first round of reviews.
The hiring team will invite successful semi-finalists to participate in virtual interviews and skill evaluations on January 15-16 2025. Candidates are encouraged to reserve these dates for virtual meetings should they be invited to participate as these dates are fixed.
Direct all inquiries to .

The City of Florence SC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Developmental Associates LLC manages the recruitment and selection process for this position. To learn more about our selection process visit select Client Openings and scroll down to Important Information for Applicants.

Required Experience:

Chief

About UsPosition Closes December 15 2025Are you a law enforcement professional who:Excels at building relationships and fostering collaboration across departments agencies and the communityLeads with transparency empathy and humilitysupporting officers while remaining approachable and relatableEmbra...